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Download Example 1
Fender Strat bridge and center pickup. Modulation position #2. Delay time @ noon. "Drift" breaking after final chord.
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Download Example 2
Fender Strat bridge pickup. Modulation position #4. Delay time @ 2 o'clock.
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Download Example 3
Gibson SG bridge pickup. Modulation position #5 (too much, too fast). Delay time @ noon.
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Download Example 4
Gibson SG bridge pickup. Modulation position #1 (off). Delay time @ 7 o'clock.
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| All clips recorded into an Electro-Harmonix 44 Magnum, Emperor 4x12" w/Weber C1265s, using a Shure SM57.
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In some ways, delay effects have come a
long way from the Echoplex tape echo of
the late 1950s. Yet modern delay devices still
seek to emulate the warmth of a tape-looping
machine. For a lot of guitarists—myself
included—a great delay pedal is defined by
its ability to achieve the warm character of
vintage units, while offering enough modern
parameter control to inspire creativity and
explore the delay textures that tape echo
units can’t provide.
The Tap-A-Delay, by Michigan’s Cusack
Effects, hits the mark on both counts. But
what makes the Cusack pedal so appealing—
and to some extent, sets it apart—is how it
allows you to control it so effectively.
Out-of-the-Box Thinking
For all its capabilities, the Tap-A-Delay is
a compact pedal. Even so, there’s plenty of
room for a cool engraved logo and a bunch
of controls. These include five neon-green
chicken head knobs (Level, Mix, Feedback,
Delay, and Modulation), two 3-position
mini-toggle switches (Mode, Divide), two
LEDs (Tempo, Status), and two momentary-style
footswitches (Tap Speed, Bypass).
Mono 1/4" input and output jacks, a standard
pin-out 9VDC connection, and a special
RCA jack that enables you to use the tap-tempo
control with other Cusack pedals are easy
to access on the back of the unit. It also can
be powered via 9V battery. If you like rubber
feet, you’ll have to install them yourself or buy
a $6 rubber skid pad from Cusack that covers
the underside of the pedal. The unit is true
bypass (Cusack also sells true-bypass switching
systems to use in your own project pedals) and
overall, it feels solid, well built, and able to
survive the rigors of real-world gigging.
Wealth of Control
The versatility of the Tap-A-Delay is pretty
astounding. However, the pedal’s vast capabilities
don’t prevent you from quickly and
easily accessing a basic, quality delay tone.
The first four knobs operate just as you
would expect. Level determines the pedal’s
overall volume. The Mix knob controls
the volume of the dry signal relative to the
delayed signal. Feedback determines how
much of the delayed signal gets reprocessed
by the effect, and at its maximum setting,
you’ll generate what can be a really useful
and musical self-oscillation that rumbles like
a fleet of helicopters. The Delay knob selects
delay times that range from 50 ms to 750
ms. This range is suitable for quick rockabilly
slapback, slow Gilmour-esque dreamscapes,
and anything in between.
The Modulation control is an 8-position
rotary switch that selects from an assortment
of modulation presets. Modulation is
disabled in position 1. Position 2 introduces
subtle modulation to the delayed signal and
subsequent positions increase the modulation
up to position 5, which Cusack aptly
describes as “Too much and too fast.” When
used in moderation, these modulations
are an excellent addition to the rich delay
tones—again inducing thoughts of Gilmour.
Called Warp Up, position 7 initiates a
program that steadily increases the delay
on a tape delay toward the playback head.
Consequently, the delays increase in both
speed and pitch, creating a lift-off effect to
your riffs. Position 8 is the inverse of position
7, causing the delay to decrease in speed
and pitch. Because there are maximum and
minimum delay speeds, positions 7 and 8
will snap back to the beginning of their cycle
once it has reached maximum or minimum
delay. This can sound musically jarring, but
effective if you’re ready to hit the bypass
switch. Delay speed changes can be overridden
at any point with the Tap Speed
footswitch. This is not a device that has been
stocked with a million studio presets, but
rather one that has been carefully designed to
respond to your input signal. And the most
impressive design feature of this pedal is its
potential for musical interactivity.
Beyond Versatility
Thankfully, Cusack Effects believes that no
modern delay pedal should be built without
a tap-tempo switch. They’ve gone a step
further with their 3-position Divide mini-toggle
switch that enables you to subdivide
your tap rate. The switch’s three settings are
eighth-note, dotted eighth-note, and quarter-note.
If you prefer fast and synced country/
rockabilly slapbacks, but cannot stomp the
footswitch as fast as Dave Lombardo, simply
set the Divide switch to eighth-note and tap
every beat. The Divide function then interprets
incoming taps as quarter-note beats.
The Mode switch also interacts with the
Tap Speed footswitch in order to unlock an
effect that Cusack refers to as braking. Braking
is initiated by holding down the Tap switch
and causes the pedal’s delay time to increase
or decrease. When the Tap switch is released,
the delay times will respond in one of three
ways, which is determined by the position of
the Mode switch. In Stay mode, the direction
(as Cusack terms it) alternates from increase to
decrease on each use and the delay time will
stay at its last value. Snap mode will return the
delay time to its beginning value immediately.
Drift mode will return to the initial delay
time value gradually. Keep in mind that all of
these delay time changes will occur as if you
were changing the read/write head positions
of a tape delay—pitch bends and all. And it’s
awesome for punctuating transitions, adding
emphasis to solo crescendos, or spicing up a
standard rhythm part. To change the pedal’s
braking direction, you hold both footswitches
until the Status LED blinks.
Other effects in the Cusack arsenal,
including the Tap-A-Whirl (tremolo),
Tap-A-Phase (phaser), and Tap-A-Scream
(overdrive) include an RCA in/out, which
allows the tap tempo to control each of these
units. This jack also responds to the input of
a momentary footswitch and interfaces with
Cusack’s programmable Pedal Board Tamer.
While all these functions can sound complicated,
they are surprisingly intuitive and
intelligently arrayed. And they’re not going
to get in your way if you want to use the
Tap-A-Delay as a more basic delay.
The Verdict
Unless you’re in dire need of stereo outputs,
extremely long delays, or expression pedal
control, you really can’t go wrong with the
Tap-A-Delay. And if you’re looking to go
above and beyond the performance capabilities
of the average delay pedal and extend
your own creative potential via delay, then I
would definitely recommend giving this unit
a try. Well engineered, interactive, and player
friendly, the pedal delivers tones that are
rooted in the warmth and natural taper of
vintage analog and tape echo devices. There
aren’t too many players in any style who
won’t welcome that combination.
Buy if...
you’re looking for a vintage
sounding delay with a wealth of
interactive performance controls.
Skip if...
you need more than 750 ms of delay,
stereo output, expression pedal control,
or the ability to store presets.
Rating...
